If your application for a Canadian study permit was refused, our immigration lawyers can help you figure out what steps to take in order to receive, restore, or extend your permit.
There are many reasons why your Study Permit may have been refused, such as missing documents, lack of financial support, or lack of a detailed study plan. What options do you have now?
Can a study permit refusal be appealed?
There is no formal process or rights to appeal within IRCC. The only two options are to:
- File a Judicial Review with the Federal Court of Canada if the decision was unfair or unreasonable
- Submit a New Application with strong supporting documents that directly address the previous officer’s concerns
A judicial review can be filed if due process was not followed by IRCC; that is, the visa office did not assess the application properly despite being presented with a detailed and thorough application which highlighted all the necessary facts. In order to be granted leave via judicial review, one must prove that IRCC did not perform their job properly. Judicial Review will not be successful if the original application did not present a strong case for approval.
Can I re-apply again on my own?
Based on our experience and what we have heard from clients who retain us after they were previously refused on multiple occasions, immigration officers may refuse an application that contains very similar information to the previously submitted application. It is always better to address all the previous refusal reasons and add additional documents and arguments that would make the application stronger.
How Our Immigration Lawyers Can Help
Clients contact our law firm after one or more refusals and we are able to help individuals obtain a study permit successfully. When an application is prepared by a lawyer, immigration officers may pay more attention when assessing an application—that’s because visa officers respect that immigration lawyers are extremely knowledgeable of immigration laws and understand that proper due process and procedural fairness must be followed. Otherwise, a lawyer will challenge the visa officer’s decision via judicial review. If a visa officer is refusing an application, they must justify the refusal based on the facts presented in the application.
If a strong case was presented by a lawyer and the visa officer still refuses the application, this scenario would be worthy for judicial review. The visa offices and IRCC do not like to waste time and resources with the Judicial Review process. If a strong application is presented by a lawyer and no grounds to justify a refusal, they would rather approve the study permit then face a Judicial Review.
In the majority of cases, working with a knowledgeable immigration lawyer to prepare and re-submit a much stronger application presenting the case often leads to an approval. The visa officer can see that the application is being submitted through a law firm’s Representative Portal and also the lawyer’s attached submission letter. Our firm typically drafts a 4 -5 page submission letter presenting each client’s application, highlighting the important facts to address all 13 reasons for refusal. Where necessary, our firm will also include case law from Federal Court to address unfair reasons for refusal such as: Lack of Travel History, Strong Ties to Canada, Not Likely to Return Home. Clients will have an opportunity to see the case we present for their application as our firm will always send a copy of the submission letter for review to a client before submitting their application.
If you have been refused a Study Permit or wish to apply for one, please contact our firm to get Professional Help. We have helped many clients obtain a visa after a refusal, oftentimes after multiple refusals. This is our area of expertise.